


Her Addicting Euphoria

by SeaweedRain



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25779187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaweedRain/pseuds/SeaweedRain
Summary: Alastor discovers that he needs to figure more out about Charlie, he needs to be around her, he needs to take in all the emotions she can display. He's addicted. But maybe in the end, he will find out more about himself than he ever thought possible.
Relationships: Alastor/Charlie Magne, Angel Dust/Husk (Hazbin Hotel)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 114





	1. Bumping Into Something New

He took a slow, deep breath in through his nose. The hotel had changed up quite a bit! Looking spik and spam thanks to his hiring of Niffty. From time to time one could see the glowing girl flash from section to section of the hotel. Annoyance and joy radiating off of her, anyone could tell that on one hand she loved to clean, it relaxed her and at the same time hyped her up! But also, the fact that no one in the Happy Hotel knew how to wipe their feet or wash their hands while walking around bugged her! The alcohol that shamelessly gets thrown on the floor or walls from time to time? Despicable! Alastor couldn’t help but let his grin widen only slightly at the little dear as his eyes somehow managed to watch her dash from section to section. When she waited and observed to see if there was anything else to clean, she basically bounced up and down where she stood, the energy unable to contain within her. “Wipe your feet, you chucklehead!” The small girl squeaked as she practically knocked a demon over as they entered through the doorway.

Static noise luminated around him, ears tilting ever so slightly at every noise that surrounded him. He may have been powerful, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t keep his guard up. Some of the most annoying demons were staying in this “Happy Hotel” here, mainly due to the place serving them free food and not costing them any money as long as they pretended to behave- and oh, let’s not forget about the free booze.

His ears perked at the sound of footsteps trailing down the red carpeted stairwell. For a place that was pretty rundown, it had a nice aura. It may have looked beautiful before turf wars probably destroyed it! Descending down the staircase were two girls: one he loved to shove, and the other was a wonderful dance partner! “Ah! Charlie dear!” There was that charming demon belle that seemed to love to sing and dance almost as much as he did! No time was spent getting into her face, their noses almost touching.

”Ah- Al!” The girl stuttered, the surprise of another flashing forward and almost leaning against her sent a chill down her spine- he did love to get close, didn’t he? The action made her lean back more, good thing she was a flexible girl. That didn’t stop him from coming in closer though, while she was flexible, it seemed like his body seemed to break, cracking coming from his bones and static radiating off him and pulsing through her body as if she were too close to a speaker in a car. “What’re you doing?” She asked quietly, eyes glancing to the side to look at where Vaggie once stood. With the sudden movements of the radio demon, she didn’t even notice Vaggie get shoved over! Something that Alastor did far too often, something that needed to be worked on! Of course, the Happy Hotel was the best place to work on those sorts of actions, even if he was just helping her with the place. That didn’t mean he couldn’t change or better himself in some way.

”Why, pulling you into a dance my dear!” His eyes stared down hard at the girl, her reaction made this so entertaining! She never seemed actually scared of him, something that didn’t happen far too often. It made this all the more pleasurable of an experience! Something new! He watched the way her brow furrowed with her mouth agape with every surprise, but it somehow always turned into a smile afterwards. “My theatrical demon belle, you should know by now that a dance and musical number is never a surprise when I’m around.” 

With his cane, he decided to throw it to the side, electro swing blasting out of it as he pulled the girl away from her girlfriend. "You better stop **pushing me** you damn radio demon or else you will **regret it** .” the moth girl hissed. For a second it almost looked like she was about to grab Charlie away from him, but to her surprise he tossed the girl into the air as the atmosphere changed along with the colors and their clothes. He couldn’t help himself! This happened almost every time he pulled the princess of Hell into a dance number! The mood! It had to match!

He found himself almost perfectly in sync with the girl he held close to him. She may not have even known what dance he may have been attempting, but she kept up and improvised if she ever had to. His usual smile turned to joy as the two jumped and danced across the Hotel lobby, gracefully flowing by anyone who may have been trying to get through. He couldn’t help but look over at the moth demon every now and then, enjoying the reaction he was getting out of her. A glare, her arms crossed, nose flaring- all that good jazz! At some points, he would let his gaze remain on her, his head staying in place as his half-lidded eyes and shit-eating grin bore at her while his body spun around. Charlie never seemed to notice, but her girlfriend did, and it was clear she was disturbed by the creepshow he was.

With the song ending and the two coming to a stop, Alastor dipped the blonde with one hand and pinched her cheek playfully with another. Giggles escaped her lips as she attempted to stand upright again with his help. “That’s always a good way to start the day!” The girl proclaimed with fists resting upon her hips. Her breathing was heavy as she watched the tall man before her. He had broken no sweat during that number nor was his breathing any different before. Instead he just stood before her, a closed grin and half lidded eyes peering down at her.

”Charlie my dear what a talented dancer you are!” He proclaimed loudly. “Absolutely just the bees-knees!” More laughs emitted from the pale girl, his long fingers moving for his thumb to rest upon her chin to keep her head up. “We should really do this more often!”

”I agree!” Her words almost exploded out of her, she didn’t even notice how almost intimately he was holding her face. All she could do was bounce in place as if ready to do yet another dance number with one of her favorite dance partners.

”I don’t.” Vaggies voice piped up, grabbing Charlies hand and pulling her away from the radio demon. “He’s a creep and he’s dangerous.” Pulling Charlie closer, the girl began to whisper. “Don’t get so close to him, he might do something bad… I don’t know what but dancing inches away from his face where he could probably bite your neck off in one try like the cannibal that he is doesn’t sound like the best of ideas.’

Alastor peered down at the two of them. Did she really think he couldn’t hear her or was she saying those things on purpose? It meant nothing to him, but he couldn’t help but find it ridiculous she was acting after the many times the two had danced before. “Pft! Awe come on Vaggie!” Charlie squeaked. “I think I can handle a simple radio demon. I’m literally the princess of Hell!” She was dramatic, looking down at her fingernails as if this bragging meant nothing. “Dad taught me well with demons like this.” She was naive, but he had to admit that she had moxie! Many of the residents of Hell clearly thought she was some tomato, but he knew otherwise, he could sense it. After all, she got into a fight with Katie Killjoy and won even though she didn’t want to be in the fight in general.

With the room now at its normal state, Alastor walked over to Vaggie. His hand moved to shove her forehead with a gloved finger. “You know, you are never fully dressed without a smile, dear! Maybe you should turn that frown upside down!” Without wanting to listen to whatever the moth demon had to say, he found himself off.

With arms moved behind his back, the radio demon started to wander around the hotel. It was a weekend so not much was to be done and it wasn’t like he had too much on his plate anyways. He would help cook at some point in the day, making sure the chefs wouldn’t mess up a grand meal or else he wouldn’t eat it! Other than that, a song and dance number as well as freaking out some of the hotel guests were a few of the only things he could do throughout the day on the weekend.

How boring. He thought that this hotel would bring him more entertainment! Weekends were not as lively as weekdays. Residents were either hiding in their rooms or sneaking out, maybe at the bar getting drunk with Husk. Nothing good. Or so he thought.

As the static once again emanated from his body, he found himself staring straight at the door of the hotel. His eyes were half lidded and anyone that walked by him would think he were in some kind of trance! That of course, would be their mistakes. With anyone that dared walk close to him his neck would snap and bend or stretch in anyway possible, watching the random demons almost fall to the floor- and sometimes they would! Sometimes they would even avoid the lobby so they didn’t have to go past the basically statue of the radio demon.

With a slight flick of his ears, he could hear footsteps approaching him. With a total turn of his head, his neck twisting awkwardly and almost impossibly, his dead eyes stared at the demon who approached him. “Eugh…” Angel Dust let this noise slip from his lips as he stuck his tongue out in disgust. “Smiles, why do you have to be so damn creepy.”

It was not the reaction he was looking for! The spider never seemed phased by his actions! How horrible! With a hollow laugh, Alastor let his neck snap back into place while eyes focused on the sexual spider before him. “Why do you have to be so annoying?” Another loud laugh escaped him as his hands moved to hold his stomach, trying to be as dramatic as possible.

”Oh I’m annoyin’, huh?” The porn star rolled his eyes before taking a deep breath, making sure to show off his bust a little before blowing the air upward at his hair. It wasn’t really in his face at all, but it was perfectly styled today! Everyone, even Alastor should notice! “If you want annoyin’, I will give you annoyin, babe.” Licking his lips quickly, the spider started to lean towards the radio demon, hands moving up to grab the other. “Come’re you strawberry pimp! Let’s see if those cheeks taste like fruits or death!”

”I sure do hope you’re talking about my face!” Alastor piped in before starting to lean back. With a smirk on the other, he was really unsure about what the answer was. “Five feet Angel, we have talked about this!” His voice was starting to fill with static. With a hand moving to his cane he tried his best to push the spider away- he didn’t want to cause too much drama in the hotel, getting a lecture from Charlie was something he was **not** in the mood for, especially since this disgusting demon seemed to be close to her. He couldn’t help but let more of his demonous side out, horns growing atop his skull, eyes becoming dials as the static around him got louder, his speech breaking every word or two. “Back you heathen or else you **will regret it.** One step back.

”Oh I’m so scared.” The pastel pink and white demon teased, continuing his movements slowly.

Alastor started moving his head, his smile widening as his head cracked to one side. Oh, maybe he will maim this one, just a little. Another step back, and another. The final step sent a shockwave through his body, spinning widely to glare at the demon who was blocking him in. He did **not** want to be touched. He did **not** need someone behind him so the demon in front of him could either touch him or be killed before that could ever happen. Instead he stood face to face with the demon belle herself, Charlie.

Fear flashed upon her face, but only for a second. “I-I’m sorry! Really!” Her voice was loud. She knew that Alastor did not like to be touched by people! The fear turned to concern for the other, but then anger made its way upon her emotions. “Angel!” She scolded, horns piercing through her hair. “Leave Al alone! I don’t need you dying on me! You’re my most successful customer!” Her finger wagged at the spider demon, like a mother trying to put her child in timeout. She had basically ignored Alastor now, scolding Angel Dust as he backed away.

The murderous tendencies that made his blood boil and flowed throughout his body suddenly stopped. His focus had become on something else now. Without his form changing, he stared at the girl, eyes almost unfocused as he took the situation in around him. “Al!” She spoke up, now standing in front of him. Her lip quivered, eyes looking helplessly at him as if they threatened tears to fall from her cheeks. “I’m so sorry about that! He just… He likes to play around.” A few more mumbles left her lips, other things that he found himself unable to focus on as the girl continued to talk.

His body snapped back into place, the girl taking a jump backwards as he did so. “It’s nothing at all my dear!” He spoke, his words almost hurried. “I am going to my quarters now, if that is quite alright.” The red haired demon’s grin softened slightly, almost as if… He wanted her to know her presence made everything better? That he was feeling calmer now? Now why is that? Seconds ago he almost rushed in for the kill, the thrill flowing through his veins with the wonderful idea of how to torture the annoying spider until he gave his last breath.

”O-oh. Alright.” The girl forced a small, gentle smile. Her hand lifted up to wave at the other as she watched him start to back his way up the stairs and to his room without taking his half-lidded eyes off of her.

With every careful step up the stairs, Alastor waited until those few candles had been blown out before vanishing into the shadows. The quick movements brought him into his hotel room- a nice place with a lot of space, something he had gotten used to in the past few months whenever he did not want to spend time at his own home. Sitting down at the edge of the bed, he gingerly shook his coat off his shoulders. He pondered as he sat, thinking about those last few minutes carefully. This hotel wasn’t changing him, was it? His finger came up to touch his pointed chin, a small sigh leaving his nose as he stared at the carpet near his feet. Many questions crossed his mind quickly: Why didn’t he just kill the annoying scum of a spider right then and there? Why did he even question the reputation of Charlies hotel? Why did he even question Charlie in general? He specifically thought of her and her hotel, not just as some hotel that he had his name on in some sort of way. He basically co-owned the place but he didn’t care, if it was ruined then it was some entertainment for the year and he would be off to find something else to do! But no. He didn’t follow through with the kill. The thought of her stopped him. Then she showed up.

Those big doe eyes of hers, her pupils had shrunk as he turned around. Her shoulders had tensed and she had frozen completely- did she even breathe for a second? The usual happy and chipper girl seemed… Scared. This thought made his smile widen. So she could get scared. The darling demon belle she was didn’t have as much confidence as she gave off. This was genuine fear. He craved… More. To see her reactions other than happy and surprised, he wanted to see her mad! Those horns peeking through her hair as well as any other demon features she may have caught his attention greatly! Something sparked within him, an urge to see her like this again! He would not take no for an answer! Alastor decided that he wanted to spend more time with Charlie.


	2. Coffee Gone Wrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you know how many times I debated on posting this early? Its 2am on the 15th and I said it would be posted on the 15th!  
> I've also been debating on drawing pictures for each chapter- I'm not that good of an artist and it would take up a lot of time but it's very tempting.

Closed eyes slowly started to open as she heard her alarms’ scream echoing throughout her room. Charlie couldn't help but smile, just like every morning here at the Happy Hotel. Her dreams were becoming a reality, she had Vaggie by her side, and even though her new friends like Alastor or Angel may not have believed in her, they were at least still sticking around! That’s at least what mattered, right?

She let her brain rest on those thoughts for a moment, resisting the urge to lay back down and dream once again as she wiped the sleep out of her eyes. “Well.” The girl hummed, her arms reaching upwards in an attempt to stretch them out. “Time for morning routines!” She was far too happy to be waking up- especially at the ripe time of 6 in the morning here in Hell. It was just early enough to check up on any demons who may need help making it back to their rooms after a long night of possibly getting wasted or may have passed out on the couches. Being up this early meant also being able to say hello to everyone! And give play wags of her finger in teasing attempts to scold them into getting into a better sleeping habit!

”Morning routines morning routines.” Charlie sang happily. Her feet swung off the side of the bed as she dared to touch the cold flood before her. ‘ _Why not just wear slippers?’_ one may ask? Well, a frozen floor does help one wake up in the morning! Now doesn’t it? The chill shot up her body, and even though every fiber of her being wanted her to go back in bed, she decided to ignore it like every other day.

Making the bed was the next step. It was never too hard, a simple task she liked to get done as soon as she awoke so that she wouldn’t have to do it later. And of course, she was a big girl! She could do such a simple thing herself, she didn’t need someone to come do that for her! As much as Charlie loved her hotel staff, Niffty in particular, she didn’t need the other coming in and doing such simple things. Next she would do some stretches, the girl figured it would help wake her body up for the day! Get the blood flowing! It wasn’t long, but it was something! And finally it was time to brush her teeth before getting dressed for the day! How exciting!

Feeling more awake, the blonde made her way towards her bathroom. _Moving into the hotel was such a good idea._ She thought to herself. _Independance. Today is going to be a great day just like any other! Changing some lives and making some friends!_ An attempt of a hum escaped her while her toothbrush moved against her teeth, making every breath feel minty and cool- that was until she almost swallowed some. A knock came suddenly at her door, making her jump slightly. _Maybe someone had gone to the wrong room on their way back to their own?_ She questioned, moving across the floor with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth.

Opening the door was a sight most people would not want to wake up to in the morning. Good thing she was already fully awake by now! Still though! It was early, far too early. A figure loomed in the doorway, red eyes peering through along with a crooked yellow smile and runes glowing against what she figured to be the nearby wall. As it moved closer, the static loudened and a gust of cold wind followed it. “Oh! Hey Al!” Her words were slightly muffled, spit and toothpaste foaming around her mouth and down her chin.

”My my,” his voice was smooth- well as smooth as an old radio speaker could get. “I didn’t know you could go rabid, Charlie.” His brow arched, his head tilting to the side along with it. Curiosity clearly peaked as his darker aura dimmed down a bit. The noise surrounding him followed along, almost as if quieting to let the other speak in return.

She watched as he pulled a handkerchief out of thin air, moving it to pat the side of her face a bit in a gentle attempt to fix the mess. “I-uhm!” Was all she could stammer. With one hand she took the toothbrush completely out of her mouth, the other snatched the fabric from him as her eyes took a quick glance around the room. It would be rude to run to the bathroom and spit! In fact it would be very rude to spit in front of him anyways! With a few turns of her head, instinct kicked in. She simply just… Swallowed. Gross. Disgusting! Was that even safe? Didn’t it say on toothpaste not to? For a second she hid her face with the hanky he had given her, shoulders arching around her neck as she seemed to shrink down. Apparently quick thinking was not one of her fortays.

”Charlie.” The man spoke, his voice monotone. This caught her attention, her back going stiff as she stood up again. The blonde stared at the other for a moment, taking in his features. He had one hand behind his back, the other held onto his microphone, like usual. His pupils were wide, but she just assumed that was because of the dark hallway he stood in. Meanwhile his lids dipped, blinking slowly as all his attention was gently placed upon the girl standing in front of him.

Meanwhile she stood there, in her pajamas, toothbrush in hand, toothpaste still stuck to parts of her face, and her throat in pain from the bad choice she had made only moments ago. “I’m sorry, it seems you caught me at a bad time!” Hesitation came to her words, not a bad time no! She didn’t want her guests to feel as if they couldn’t come see her if they needed help! Even if he technically wasn’t a guest! “I mean! I’m basically ready and all that.” Her wrist rolled, hands trying to talk along with her even though the toothbrush was still being grasped tightly. “Uh… Is there something you need?” With those final words, her head tilted to the side to match his own.

”It’s fine, darling.” The man cooed, leaning towards her a bit more- never afraid to invade her personal bubble, like always. “I did come here quite early, sorry for that! I was just excited!” His hands clapped together, microphone falling to the side and banging into the ground, a loud noise following along that made the girl feel as if she had to cover her ears.

”Excited?” She questioned in return. “Excited about what?” Within half a second a gasp left her mouth “Oh has the hotel done something? Oh my gosh we need to plan a party!” She didn’t even know what was going on but a party was needed for it!

In return the man before held up his hand, signalling the bouncing girl to calm herself at least a little. “No no my dear, sorry for getting your hopes up. I was just hoping you would accompany me to some java so we can talk about some hotel plans…” The hand that was once held in front of her now moved to his own chin. A gentle hum escaped him as his eyes looked off to the far corner of the room- part of her wanted to glance over herself to see if he saw something she didn’t. “We could plan a party too! But I figured it would be a nice way to wake up.”

She stared at the red man a little longer to see if he had anything else to say before nodding her head frantically. She wasn’t really that big a fan of the drink, bitter wasn’t her favorite flavor, but surely they had other awakening options wherever they may go! “Yes! That sounds fun! I would love to! But I need to go check on Vaggie first, and I uh… Kind of need to get dressed? How about in an hour?” The hyper girl bit her lip, almost standing on her tippy toes as she looked at the other with hope. With luck, not leaving at this very moment wouldn’t screw up his schedule… Whatever that even was besides scaring the hotel guests.

”That’s quite alright.” Alastor said before standing up straight again, giving her some breathing room. “I shall meet you in the hotel lobby.” With a wave of his clawed fingers, the deer demon was on his way once more.

Charlie stared down into the corredor, watching him walk away. It was almost like he was hovering, carrying himself on air as he briskly walked away with such suave. It was almost hypnotizing how much his walk made his jacket sway… He was certainly full of himself in some ways, but in others… he was very kind. Sometimes it was hard to believe a demon so well known for being horrible and crude, was actually nice to her. Yes, he only helped with the hotel because he wanted to see it crash and burn because he was bored, but she couldn’t help but feel as if they had genuine conversations with one another. With a small sigh, the pale demoness closed the door, heading off to finish her morning routines.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

”He what?” The girls voice screeched, most likely waking up anyone within earshot. Vaggie basically threw herself out of bed and reached under her pillow, whipping out a spear from it. “I cannot believe he came to your room so early in the morning and had the guts to interrupt your busy schedule and try to get you alone with him! He’s a creep Charlie! A creep! Oh no no no I do not think it’s safe. He’s trying to get close! Dancing with you two or three times a day and now asking you out on-on-on… coffee dates?” All her words were basically screamed as the moth demon paced around the room, swinging her spear with every word. Razzle and Dazzle scurried around her, holding up breakfast donuts like they usually did whenever Charlie came in to greet Vaggie in the morning. They would usually all have breakfast together and discuss the day ahead of them, however this morning was very different.

”Um, Vaggie… Is it safe to have that under your pillow? You could get hurt…” Dainty fingers pointed at the sharp, small spear that only moments before rested beneath a pile of feathers. Taking a bite of a strawberry sprinkled donut, the girl began to speak again. “And please do not call it that.” Charlie mumbled, rolling her eyes playfully. “It’s not some coffee date, we are just getting drinks and discussing the hotel.”

Grabbing one of the pastries offered to her, the one eyed girl took a hefty bite and began to chew furiously. “Fine, then I’m coming with you! I don’t need him doing anything freaky near, or around you! If he even breathes on you he’s dead!”

With a sigh, the demon princess sat down on Vaggies bed. “I don’t think that’s the best idea.” Her friend had just taken another mouthful, staring hard and gesturing crazily around. “I know I know.” Charlie replied to the rapid arm movements. “But I don’t need a scene being caused… And… Uh… You weren’t exactly invited?” Tapping on her cheek a bit, she tried to look at anything but her friend. Hey! That spot on the floor is pretty dang cool, let’s focus on that instead of the glare she was receiving!

With a hard swallow, Vaggie stood in front of Charlie. “I see him not inviting me, but you didn’t even suggest it?” She stared at the red cheeked, black nosed girl that sat in front of her. Charlie was pulling the cutest puppy-dog pout she could. She did feel bad for not inviting Vaggie along! But she also remembered the many other experiences she’s had of being a monkey in the middle of Vaggie and Al getting into some kind of argument over him doing the smallest of things. With a defeated sigh, the girl plopped onto the bed, her hair covering her face. “I get it.” She hesitated. “But just because I do, doesn’t mean I like it.”

”I know.” Charlie replied, laying down next to the other. “But you and I both know that I can also handle myself.” She took the one-eyed girls’ hand, holding it close to her heart as she took a few deep breaths in. “I will bring you back something, you just need to promise not to throw it at him.”

With a hard laugh, Vaggie rolled onto her side to look at Charlie lovingly. “I make no promises about that… Just be safe, okay hun?”

Charlie nodded in return, giving Vaggies hand a small squeeze. “I will! And I will return with new ideas for the hotel! But for now. I have to go and get ready. I already feel bad enough for not being ready when he showed up! I don’t want to be late!”

Right as she was trying to get up, a sudden weight moved onto her. “Ooooh nooo.” Vaggie whined playfully. “It seems gravity has given up on me, my body is too heavy to move and you’re stuck here with me. What a shaaame!” She lay on top of Charlie, face over her shoulder as it pressed into the sheets. A few laughs escaped the moth demon as she let all her weight press against Charlie, basically trapping her.

”Vaggie noooo!” She whined in return, giggles being exhaled as she tried to move against the weight atop of her. “My reputation! I don’t want to be late!” She could probably easily pick up the girl laying on her, but her laughter wouldn’t let her. Charlie couldn’t even focus as extra weight seemed to plop atop of her- Razzle and Dazzle had joined in on the party.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The spider demon leaned against the bar, fingers dancing along the counter as he waited for Husk to finish up with his drink. A sigh escaped his lips as he stared at the wood, studying the patterns ingrained along it that over only a few months had been worn down by the miscreates staying in this hotel as well. He had to admit, even if there were only a few more demons staying, he missed being the only one. He got all the attention! Now it seemed like there was always something to do for all of them, and even in his free time he found himself sneaking out to be busy… Was he a workaholic? Is that something that Charlie will make him work on too?.. Wasn’t she technically one as well then? He couldn’t help but let out another sigh, standing up a little straighter as Husk turned around. “Thanks Husky.” Angel said with a grin stretching across his face. One of his free hands moved up to smooth out his hair. Taking a sip of the random drink he let Husk make, he relaxed into the feeling of the burn slipping down his throat. “Nothing hits the spot like cheap booze.” He mumbled.

”I cannot believe you came to my room and forced me to come make you a damn drink.” Husk grumbled in return, letting his claw cut the wood below him. “You could have made your own. You know how to!” A yawn escaped the cat-like demon, his wings stretching out along with it.

”Listen, listen.” Angel chided the other “I’ve been up all damn night doin’ what I do best, sometimes you just need your grand ol’ pal to make a special drink for you.” A finger reached out to try and scratch the others chin, only to be threatened with a nimble attempt at a bite from the other. “Feisty.” The pastel demon cooed, eyebrows wiggling at the cat demon. “Listen, Husky, would you buy me the good booze if I sucked your-”

He was interrupted by loud thuds coming closer towards the two along with heavy breathing. “I’m sorry!” The princess of Hell gasped as she clung to the railing. “I got a little… Held down a bit.” Her teeth clung to her bottom lip, chewing on it frantically as her footsteps came to a halt at the bottom of the staircase. Slow movements followed, trying to follow her own rules of No Running In The Lobby! Curiously she walked over to a figure Angel didn’t even notice. _How long has the strawberry pimp been there?_ Angel thought, squinting at the man who stood still like a gargoyle. He stood out almost all the time, but somehow knew how to blend in perfectly well.

”It’s perfectly fine, my dear!” His voice pitched at first, a clawed finger tapping at his microphone with a small “hello?” following after, making Charlie giggle. “Now how about we get on our way? Swiftly! Before noon approaches faster than we can get there!”

Charlie seemed like she couldn’t stop laughing at the smaller jokes that Alastor let out. “Al! It’s only around 7:30! Noon is still hours away!”

”That is my bad! I decided to throw my watch out of the window!” He chuckled a few times, looking down… strangely at the girl. This made Angel place a hand on his jawline, a finger tapping his chin.

”Why would you do that, Al?” The girl almost yelled, concern and question raising in her voice.

”Oh simply because I wanted to see time fly!” The girl almost toppled over, snorts and giggles bursting out of her as Angel felt like he was going to physically cringe. The damn dad jokes were horrible, how could someone ever find that so funny? Dick jokes were funny. Why couldn’t Alastor do some dick jokes from time to time? “Now come on dear, we shall be waking up with some good joe in a jiffy if we hurry!” He thought for a moment or two before speaking up again. “Now where’s your signature jacket?” The man inquired.

”Oh! It seemed nice out today! Nothing like a brisk, cool morning walk am I right?” She replied with a large smile, obviously ready to leave.

”Fine by me!” Alastor waved his hand, almost as if not understanding why one **wouldn’t** want to wear a jacket every day.

Angel's eyes squinted as he watched the two, slowly taking a sip of the drink he forgot about for a moment. Alastors hand drifted downward, almost holding onto Charlie's lower back. It wasn’t exactly holding her, more like fencing her in or being there to catch her if she fell backwards. For a moment, Angels drink threatened to escape his mouth! “Now ain’t that somethin’.” He remarked, turning to face Husk after the two left. “Somethin’ tells me those two are smitten!” The spider got in the others face, eyes wide open.

”I thought you held your alcohol better than that, Angel.” Husk sighed, opening a beer for himself and taking a swig. “Why would a girl like Charlie, who by the way, **is in a relationship** , have a thing for a creep like that? The same could go for the radio creep. He doesn’t have emotions, why do you think he needs to take in everyone else's'?” With that he slumped against the bar, rolling his eyes and Angel could tell he just wanted everyone to leave him alone. “Plus,” the demon mumbled. “Her dad is head honcho, Alastor might be trying to get close to her to get to him.”

”Please please please!” A chuckle escaped him. “We are in Hell, Husk! Dating multiple people is a thing that happens all the time! Especially dating multiple people at a time when your significant other doesn’t know about it.” Although he had to admit, a girl like Charlie never struck him as the type to do such a thing. Maybe while she was having everyone else change, she herself was being influenced by the sinners as well? He decided to ignore the second reason, it almost seemed pretty valid and something the radio demon might actually do. Glancing over on the look on the others face, all he saw was genuine disbelief at Angels theory. “Don’t believe me, eh?” He said with a toothy grin. “Wanna make a bet?” With that, he held a hand out to the other, fingers almost curling in anticipation. “I bet they will somehow end up together in some way- be it a kiss or dating. If I win, you buy me dinner.”

Husk stared at the others hand for a moment, displeasure painted across his face as if wondering where the hell Angels hand had been. After a moment or two, the demon mumbled “Fuck it.” and took the pink spider's hand, giving it a good squeeze. “If I win, then you’re the one buying dinner.

Angel giggled, taking his hand away and wiggling his fingers in front of Husks face. “Goodie for me~ I get a date out of it either way, Husky.” His voice was soft, blowing a gentle kiss at the cat demon as he started to walk away.

”Wait wait wait! I never agreed to any kind of date here! Hey! Get back here you dip!” It was too late though, the deal had been sealed and either way he lost with it. The demon slumped down, face landing against the counter as he debated on going back to sleep in his room until four in the afternoon.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The demon belle, as Alastor liked to call her, walked along beside him, hair standing on end almost every time he took a step too far forward and his hand happened to brush up against her lower back. Every so often she would glance at the taller demon beside her, his eyes half-lidded, a gentle closed smile rested upon his lips, and a hum escaped him that followed along with the jazz that was softly playing from his cane-like microphone. It was oddly calm out, maybe because it was far too early in the morning for demons to be threatening each others’ lives. The only ones who were awake were those who fell into Hell and got themselves the same jobs they were familiar with. This is what she wanted though, a calm place for the citizens of Hell to live in. A place where they didn’t have to fear being attacked by one another and could happily go get coffee in the morning if they could wake up for it. The smallest of sighs left her as her hands hovered over her chest, eyes glued to the ground as the two of them walked.

These little motions did not get past the radio demon at all, with an awkward turn of the head, he looked down at his princess. “Is there something wrong, dearie?” She noticed when he spoke, the radio seemed to react as well. It cut out, as if something was going on within him when he asked such a question.

”It’s nothing.” She breathed. There was silence for a second or two before she looked back up and noticed that Alastor was still staring down at her, and even though it seemed like his expression never changed, she couldn’t help but feel as if he were judging her for not answering honestly. She could hear his words clearly in her head: _Well there’s clearly something wrong! You’re not fully dressed! Where is that smile of yours?_ “Fine!” Her arms moved up and the girl stopped walking to look at him properly. “Look around, Al.” With arms still in the air, she gestured around the city. “What do you see?”

”Garbage.” he replied quickly with no second thought about it.

”Ah-wah! No!” Charlie cried out, gawking at him. “Al! It’s peaceful! There’s almost no one out here and if there is it’s either workers or people so tired they don’t want to start anything.” _Or they might be avoiding him… Demons did tend to flee whenever he was around…_ “This is what I want.” The girl grabbed at the air, almost as if it were her goal and she was unable to obtain it- just like in reality. Tears started to threaten the corner of her eyes, blurring her vision slightly as she stared up at the radio demon. Alastor gave no reply, as if wishing to hear more, as if, giving her the stage. “It may not be happy, but at the same time nothing bad is happening. Al, isn’t it nice? Don’t you think others should experience this too? To be able to breathe without living in fear?” With a groan, the girl let her head hang back. He may have been listening, but it felt as if she were getting nowhere with him at all. “It just makes me… sad okay? I’m happy, but I’m sad.”

He gave a few blinks, the jazz in the background had turned to static before a laugh track played for only a second. “Ha! Oh Charlie, you sure do like to dream big.” The man went back to humming, his one arm that used to be behind her now leaned against his own back. Trying to get ahead of him to catch his attention and continue on with her speech, Alastor managed to cut her off. “Weren’t we supposed to talk business, my dear? A party you suggested?” Everything in the last thirty seconds cleared from her mind.

”Oh! Oh oh oh!” her hands clapped, continuing on her way walking in front of him, facing the wrong direction. Her attention wasn’t even close to where she could be walking or possibly be walking into! “Yes! I was thinking we could throw a party! I know we don’t have many residents! But we have more than before and I think a get-together would be nice and they could invite their friends and oh my goodness maybe we could get them to join and oh my-ah!”

Everything happened so fast. Walking backwards had been her enemy for some time now, but the girl thought that after so many times she had danced before maybe she had gotten used to it. Apparently that was not the case! Her foot had hit something, causing the girl to take a few stumbling steps backwards. Somehow her hand had reached out and grabbed the coat in front of her, and with his surprise, sent him tumbling down with her. The smooth demon that he was though, he had somehow managed to turn them mid air, almost as if he wanted to hit whatever surface was below them before she did. Almost as if he wanted to be her cushion. With a splash, the situation turned red- literally! Her clothes got heavier as liquid soaked into her sleeves and pants, a bit into her top, and the bottom of her hair. It wasn’t until she opened her eyes that she had noticed Alastor had softened the fall. In fact, that’s exactly what she had fallen on! Him! “Alastor!” She cried.

His body was frozen, Charlie stared in concern as she noticed no muscles moved- it was as if he were stuck in time. In an awkward motion, his neck craned and his face came inches away from her own. “You know, if you’re trying to drown me, darling, you’re ganna have to try better than that!” Even with him being almost totally in a fountain which she hadn’t even noticed, the man somehow got a laugh track to play in the background. “Now if you would please, get off of me. This isn’t exactly comfortable.”

It took a few seconds to process, but Charlie looked down at the other, her face changing colors from white, to pink, to red, in a matter of seconds. She was basically pinning him there. Her hands both rested above his shoulders on the fountain bottom, coins pressing against her fingers and palms while her legs straddled the mans waist. His legs had managed to stay out of the liquid, leaning on the edge of the fountain as they crossed, waiting for her to move. “Ohmygosh I’m so sorry I don’t- I uh! Oh goodness yeah let me move, Al!” The blonde basically plopped herself down next to him instead of getting out of the fountain. From where she sat now, the beautiful geyser basically spat water over her head as if she were at some sort of waterpark. She was totally drenched at this point. “Whaaat… even is this…?” The words mumbled out of her mouth as her hair started wetly falling into her face. Hands moved up as she looked down at the red liquid that dripped off her fingers.

”Blood!” Alastor said excitedly, the grin wider than ever as he stood up and out, offering a hand.

”Blood?!” Charlie yiped, wondering who the heck would put a blood fountain out in a park- who would even pay for that? Some twisted demon that’s for damn sure! She scrambled for his hand, almost pulling the man down again.

”It seems so.” Once he pulled her up, the man touched her soaking hair and admired it for a moment or two. “Thinner though, most likely wouldn’t flow right if it weren’t. Isn’t Hell strange?” He stared at her with narrow eyes and in return she could only look at him with her mouth agape. How could he find this interesting, it was gross! “Hm, Charlie my lovely demon belle,” he interrupted her thoughts. Letting go of her hand, his arms moved to slide his jacket off of her and offered it her way and glanced around at the street around them. It was soaking wet and she had no idea why he would be handing his oversized, drenched jacket to her. “You’re wearing white, darling.”

She stared at him in utter disbelief, not understanding what the heck he was talking about! How he switched from happily talking about blood fountains to white shirts was beyond her comprehension! Then it clicked. Slowly her hands moved in front of her body, laughing slowly and awkwardly as she stood there for a second.

 _White shirts and liquid don’t work well together._ she thought to herself, happy that she decided to wear a bra today but mad at herself for leaving her jacket at the hotel. “Aheheh…” Once again, she found herself flustered in front of the other, her face heating up like lava as she had no idea what to do next. The fabric clung to her skin, anyone with a close enough view could see that. It felt tight, anxiety encasing her as she felt trapped within her own clothes- exposed.

She wasn’t quick enough to process what to do next. Obviously Alastor was tired of holding his jacket out and draped it across her shoulders. “Well it seems our coffee will not be purchased from any store or restaurant this morning. Let’s head back.” He decided for the both of them. “I will let the staff know to send some to your hotel room, Miss Charlie.” He acted almost as if it had never happened, arms moving behind his back as he hummed and started his journey towards the hotel.

Charlie had never really taken in what he looked like without his jacket on- it was nice! Refreshing even! Yes, he often changed their clothes whenever they did cute little dance numbers and his style was incredible! But his everyday wear was something she was not used to paying attention to. Her eyes glued to his back, slowly moving down his torso as she felt the need to take in the sight slowly so she would never forget. He was wearing what every suit had under it, a vest, some rolled up sleeves, and gloves, but seeing him this way, soaking wet with a small deer tail popping from his tush was just a bit too fascinating for her overwhelmed head. The fabric he had placed around her was wet, yes, but it was… soothing. A small smile made its way to her lips, fingers rubbing at the fabric as it seemed to keep her mind at bay. Their walk back had no conversation, just the two of them and Alastors humming to keep them busy.

When reaching the door, she tried to slide the coat off of herself and to him. “Al I-”

”No no! Keep it for now! I have plenty more.” He chided, patting her on the head before looking away. “Now head on up to your room and dry off, I’m sure there is still a lot to do today!” It was almost like he was pushing her away, he hadn’t even faced during their walk back.

”I just want to say I’m sorry.” The girl tried to move where he could see her, but he was obviously busy trying to shoo her away. “I should really be looking where I’m going next time.” She continued to mumble a little, mentioning things about how they should probably both take a shower- separately! Oh she was just making this conversation more awkward if he could even hear what she was saying! He was probably just tuning her out...

”It’s fine, we can try to get coffee again soon.” With that, she figured he was done with the conversation. He wasn’t walking towards the direction of his room, but instead towards the shadows. Charlie knew he could shadow travel and most likely felt better just looming within them, but it really did feel as if he were pushing her away!

While his actions made her sad, his words filled her with hope! Yes! They would have to get coffee again soon! She would make sure of that! But for now, she clung onto the wet fabric he had given her and trudged up the stairs. The weight of his actions and the liquid in the jacket made her shoulders feel a lot heavier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The damn dad jokes were horrible, how could someone ever find that so funny? Dick jokes were funny. Why couldn’t Alastor do some dick jokes from time to time?" is probably my favorite line I've ever written.
> 
> 9-29-20 Edit- I have almost completed chapter 6. I have been swapping between this fic and my HH Shrek AU fic constantly and have decided once I've reached chapter 10 for this fic I will start posting again every Saturday. I try to write every night, if not I am drawing. I get through at least 1-2 pages each time I write and each fic chapter has been at least 7-10 pages long recently so let's hope this doesn't take me too long because I hate to leave y'all waiting!


	3. A Deer In The Headlights

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing this chapter, just wish I made it a bit longer. Angel is fun to write even if he's not active for very long in each chapter!

Alastor found his eyes glued to the wall, if one could call his vision blurring with a flurry of colors glued to something. His back was straight as he continued to let the blood -if one could even call it that- from the fountain remain on his clothes. This wasn’t a time to be worrying about that, even if with a snap of his fingers he could replace what he wore with something dry. Instead he would continue to sit there, his arms limp in his lap as his vision, and the room, started to flicker a little. He wasn’t even trying, there was nothing he could do. Often those would wonder if he were in some kind of trance- this time he actually was.

Luckily no one else was in the room with him. The wall flickered different colors, changing from the vibrant colors of his dance numbers to that of a television on the wrong channel with nothing but a scream from the speakers. Runes wildly floated around him as his horns branched out- there was no control. Items lifted from the floor, his neck craned in the most painful-looking positions as his body almost seemed to twitch out of control. He craved it. He couldn’t tell what, but he needed it. If he didn’t get what he wanted, then things would turn south very quickly.

Fists slammed against his door, the banging sending a shock through him, motivating him to get up and move. He would kill whoever was there. Whoever was disturbing him. No one else lived on his floor so it must have been someone from another here to tell him to calm down. Oh yes, this was their day to double die. His fingers twitched in anticipation, his chest moved slowly, breathing long and heavy breaths as he glided across his floor. Tendrils of shadows moved from below him, the kill was right there in front of him, rudely knocking on his door and disturbing the peace he had.

Like an arrow shooting through his chest, suddenly he felt like he couldn’t follow through with his actions. Something weighed him down like an anchor. As his claws reached towards the door, he found gravity working against him with his arms feeling suddenly like lead. A few steps back had to be taken, catching his balance as he gripped onto his shirt where the pain was pulling him down. _I can’t kill Charlies guests._ He thought. _It’s her dream…_

Suddenly everything around him stopped. The walls returned to normal, so did his vision and his usual whitenoise that constantly surrounded him. Items fell to the ground with a thump- the chairs and coffee table, some other miscellaneous items dropping suddenly. With that, the noise against the door had stopped. He must have scared them off.

Alastor took a few tumbling steps backwards, making his way back to his bed to sit on the edge of it once more. Why was he like this? Questions started to float through his mind, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead and trailing down his cheekbone as he did his best to think calmly this time. One incident had sent his morning with Charlie crumbling down, she just had to trip and send him with her… That was the thing though. Why did he end up falling with her?

He has many powers, any of them could have helped them during that situation! He could have stopped her from falling in the first place, but he guessed he just wanted to watch and see her fall, not expecting her to grab his coat. He probably could have stopped them from falling in the first place! Transported them somewhere softer! He didn’t have to go under her either. Why did he do that? And the way she looked at him when she saw he was under her… The look on her face when she noticed he was under the water, she was so concerned! How quickly the colors of her cheeks had changed when she noticed that she was in fact pinning him into place.

A hand moved to rest upon his own cheek, what is usually cold skin felt… warm. His quick beating heart almost felt like it stopped at the realization. Part of him wanted to forget the moments had ever happened… but the other half continued on with the memories. The look of fear she had gotten when noticing that the red of the fountain was some type of blood mixture should have entertained him more than it did. Instead all he could feel was a chuckle- nothing close of what he was looking for with her reactions!

The vivid memory continued on, how tightly and desperately her smaller, delicate hand held onto his as he hoisted her up. The split second he was able to scan her body, not even sure why he ended up looking the girl up and down. Did he really care if she ended up bruising her hands or knees? The heat on his cheeks continued, he couldn’t even keep his gloved hands on his face anymore, he couldn’t stand it! Whatever this was, it almost felt embarrassing! She was soaking wet and in a white shirt! He didn’t mean to steal a glance or two at the dazzling demon belle and the curves of her body! He couldn’t help but notice the laced undergarments that she wore that had caught his eye for a split second!

His whole body lurched forward, his stomach feeling twisted as he continued to fester in his memories and… feel emotions? No no… Not possible. He didn’t care for anyone! He, himself, and I! Charlie was not his friend… He was just using her. He was bored! That was of course it! She was one entertaining demoness!

He let out a few chuckles, they weren’t as happy as usual though, the irking pain he was feeling in his gut was horrible! He wanted more! He hated it! What is it? How do you get rid of it? He was hooked!

The upper half of his body fell completely forward, if one had seen him they would have thought he was broken- which is exactly how he felt! He was spirling again, not a state of mind he liked very much. Being strong has its ups and it’s downs. Most of the time he was able to handle these sorts of situations- but now… He was feeling something else, something that was on the tip of his tongue but couldn’t figure out. He remembered Charlie on their walk to coffee, going on about her vision and reaching out for it, unable to grab anything but the air before her- that’s exactly how he felt…

Before Alastor could sink any deeper into this unforgiving swamp of newly found emotions, the door handle made a noise. There was only a small knock before the entire thing swung open, slamming against the wall. “Heya toots! I heard all the bangs and figured you were back!” Sitting straight up suddenly like a marionette puppet, the radio demon found his head spinning a few times before locking his void-like eyes upon the intruder. The damned spider had broken into his room. “So uh, Huskers told me you were all wet.” Angel said with a click of his tongue, walking around the room, snooping for anything that he could find. “I see that noowww-” The shadows surrounded him, dragging the pastel fellow out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

It was a little war that went on for a second or two, the door opening and closing with Angel trying his best to peek his face into the radio demons room. “Heya Al!” he would say in that nasally voice over and over again. Finally the door locked behind him, keeping the spider demon out. “I can pick locks…” Angel spoke again, clearly giving up as he leaned against the door and slid down it.

There was silence for a moment before Alastor heard a small chuckle, his ears shuddering at the others voice. “So uh, have I won my bet or what?” The voice was slightly muffled, as if he did and also didn’t want the red demon to hear that comment- whatever it meant! There was silence for yet another moment, Alastor breaking out of whatever trance Charlie had put him in to focus on the shenanigans the man outside his room was trying to pull. “Listen.” The voice spoke up once again. “It doesn’t always go as planned, ha! Take that from me. Heck I fail all the time! I get right back up and continue making a fool of myself if I have to!.. What is it you theater folks say? The show must go on?” There was a little bit of humming that continued, the spider clearly unsure of what to say next. “So you came back soaking wet- big deal!... But why did you come back soaking wet again?”

” **Leave.** ”

”Alright alright! Sheesh!” Alastor could only imagine the other waving his arms around out in the hall, trying his best to express his emotions on how irritating this conversation was. “But let me say one thing-”

” **Or perish.** ”

”Pfft, yeah okay.” Angel huffed. “I’m just ganna say one thing though, Al. Don’t give up. Try it again. Go after her, Al… Good booze is on the line here.” The last part was muttered and Alastor still had no idea what that even meant, but after those words it seemed the other had finally left his territory.

What felt like hours went by, the feeling of torture still remained within his gut but it wasn’t making him cripple over any longer. It was almost hard to keep a smile on his face, but at the same time, how could he not smile when thinking about her? Thinking about Angels words somehow inspired him. Funny, how an imbecile like that could actually inspire him to get out of his seat!

He didn’t quite understand why the spider demon had even come to him in the first place. Alastor had come back to the hotel many times before in blood stained clothes or wet from the horrid rain showers they had down in Hell… What made this any different? Because he was with Charlie? He decided to contemplate on the situation just a little longer, Angels stupid, mocking words echoing throughout his mind as his gaze made it’s way to the door. Part of him… Part of him wished he had talked to the other. Alastor didn’t quite understand what was even going on with himself, so how would explaining to others be any easier anyways? _Go after her, Al…_ What does that even mean? Why did the grotesque demon suddenly want him and Charlie to hang out if that was even what he was suggesting.

From the pieces of the puzzle that the radio demon could put together, some bet about alcohol had been made, and something about him and Charlie hanging out had to do with it. Pieces were clearly missing though, something that made the demon scratch his chin a bit about. It was then that he sighed, heaving himself up off the bed and standing upright with his back locked in place.

Slowly he trudged across the floor, making his way towards the bathroom. Staring at himself in the mirror felt… Hard for some reason. With a snap of his fingers his clothes had finally changed. He was dry and feeling much more comfortable than before- how he managed to stay that long in soggy clothes he had no idea. First he glanced at his own face, tilting his head every so often as he observed his duplicate in the mirror, a closed smile and wide eyes. Then his gaze went downwards, looking at his hands- the hands that have held the princess of Hell many times now. Swinging her around in a frenzy of dance moves that kept them perfectly in sync. And now today, the sensation of her holding him tightly danced upon his palm, her firm grasp still fresh in his memory. The way these gloved fingers messed with her wet hair…

With a huff, he tried to keep his mind off of such fantasies! With a tug of his bowtie and the patting of any dust that may lay on his jacket, he felt fresh and ready to go! Go where exactly? He wasn’t sure!

Quick, large strides lead the way. His body was fully turning as he moved, elbows bent and outward and ready to hit anyone who may get too close to him as they walked by. He may have looked like he was in a play or picture show! His stance was dramatic and out there, anyone who glanced his way was sure to notice him! And for some reason, that was exactly what he wanted! Alastor wasn’t quite sure where this boost of confidence came from or what he was going to do with it, but he did know he was going to show it off with style!

It didn’t take long for her to catch his eye. He may not have been looking for the dazzling blonde beauty but that sure was his goal now! “Give some of that jag juice good sir!” He called out to Husk. Husk wasn’t quick enough though, the radio demon letting the shadows grab whatever, cheap, hard liquor Husk had in hand and pour him a shot of it. Sliding it across the table, Alastor caught it with ease and downed it in one go- no reaction. The burning sensation meant nothing to him!

He never let up on his stride as he found his way behind Charlie, his closed mouth grin friendlier than ever as he stared at the girl with large pupils. “Charlie!” he called out, arms raising into the air.

The girl jumped, this ended her conversation quickly with whatever guest she was just talking to. “Al!” The blond clapped her hands in return before giggling at him.

This motion of his arms being raised didn’t last long, those long arms of his scooping the dainty demon up and giving her a twirl or two before letting the girl go. He couldn’t help but admire the faint pink tint that made its way upon her cheeks and across her nose. It was then he felt a glare to his right, he didn’t even bother looking for he knew that the moth demon would be right there standing beside her, gripping onto Charlies’ arm like a baby elephant holding onto its mothers’ tail. He simply just shoved the girl aside with his microphone stand before letting his hands move over and quickly squeezed Charlies chubby cheeks. She would continue on laughing, attempting to reach out and grab his face in return. Had she not learned? His neck was impossibly moveable! He simply just avoided her attack in return while she whined about it being unfair.

The moment couldn’t last too long, Vaggie coming over and crossing her arms as she got closer to him- something he was **sure** he did not want to touch. Shoving her was enough of his physical attention, and sometimes that was even hard to do! “Charlie!” He said once again, letting go of the girls circular cheeks and patting the top of her head. “I still want to talk with you about hotel business and planning if you do not mind! Not right now, I see you are busy with the guests.”

All the girl could do was smile and nod in return, rubbing her cheek for he may have pinched her too hard. Nonetheless she was smiling. That smile was something he found himself not wanting to ever leave her lips…

”That sounds great!” Basically wiggling in excitement where she stood, the girl could only beam up at the other. “Tonight or..?”

”Tonight sounds great! I almost never sleep so anytime works for me, darling.” His words cooed, leaning over towards the girl just a bit more to get into her bubble.

Unexpectedly, her hand reached up and pinched his cheek, pulling it slightly as the laughter would not stop. Tears were almost forming in her shut eyes as she basically pulled the radio demon closer. “Sounds good to me, Al!” She never pinched too hard on his skin, but it was enough to pull on his smile a bit.

If she had been looking back at him, the girl would have noticed that his eyes were awkwardly wide. The smile that he always held flinched, muscles having a small spasm in his face. His whole body stopped working at the sensation of the other invading his personal space. The sensation that he had felt before in his room started to come back- uncomfortable. Conflicting. On one hand, he could push the girl away and feed her to the shadows that surrounded him constantly, but on the other… He couldn’t help but enjoy this close contact...

Alastor stared at the girl as she continued on with this act, reaching slowly and thoughtlessly to pull on the circles on her cheeks once again, as if this motion… calmed him. It wasn’t hard this time, just enough to let her know that he could do this too- even if she already knew. He watched as her big, doe eyes opened. The tears of joy made them almost sparkle by the hotel candlelight and that sensation suckerpunched him in the gut once more. He couldn’t break his gaze away, not yet. The red eyed man wanted this moment to last just a little bit longer- that was until his body decided to betray him.

He felt his face start to heat up, just like it had done before! He should have known that the feeling that hit the pit of his stomach and made him feel twisted in the most delightful of ways was going to make his face react like this! There wasn’t even enough time for him to notice the same was happening to her, cheeks once again turning a light shade of pink as the two stood there. Standing up straight kind of hurt, she was almost dragged along with him if she hadn't let go of his face. “Alright then! I shall be off! Goodbye for now, darling!” Running off again… Since when was he, the brave and powerful radio demon that everyone feared, running off? Especially from a cute, marshmallow demon princess who has always been nothing but kind to him.

”Bye…” The girl mumbled in return. As he left he overheard the arguing of her and her friend ringing in his ears- although he tried to ignore it.

As he left, lingering thoughts made their ways into his mind. Those of her, mainly. The moments that had just happened replayed as he allowed his walk to slow a bit. Something tugged at the back of his brain, something that he couldn’t quite put his finger on for an answer. Charlie was a very punctual kind of gal, she would never be late or bring a gift after the birthday had happened. No. She remembered these small details… Alastor looked back at her, watching her attempt to give him a kind smile while Vaggie yelled at her. Where was his jacket he gave her?

A sigh left his body as he continued to trudge on his way back to his room, those thoughts were not to be focused on for the moment. He was one of the main concerns… Where all that confidence had gone that he had only moments ago, Alastor had no idea. What he did know was Charlie had something that he did not understand and part of him wanted to find out more while the other part wanted to leave this hotel behind and never think of her and her curse ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I don't know if I will keep updating every Saturday because I've been working on chapter 5 for a while now and haven't finished it yet so- I'm also still mapping out the entire outline and what should be happening between chapters and all that jazz so time continues to move forward within the fic for these have only focused on one productive day so far.


	4. The Damp Princess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, hi, holy heck you guys??? I am so hecking happy! I never expected this fic to get so many hits, kudos, OR bookmarks! And wow the comments! You have all been so supportive! Thank you so so so so much! I really do hope you're enjoying it, because I'm having a blast writing it!  
> This MAY be the last chapter for a bit because I'm putting focus into writing the outline AND I'm currently writing another Charlastor College AU because I miss college already- that won't be out for a bit though. Chapter 5 is halfway written though so we will see what I get done by next week...

Her walk up the staircase was a cold one. Tugging the jacket close to herself, the blonde debated on if she wanted to go back to her room or Vaggies- and honestly, part of her wanted to go to Alastors room! Charlie wanted to apologise over and over for her actions! Getting caught in her daydreams and ranting to him about them. Getting stuck on the idea of a party at the hotel. Getting entangled with him inside a fountain… The thought made her face feel as hot as the fires in Hell, wondering if maybe the soaking clothing around her had gotten her sick. It had been a while since her face beat with so much heat, probably the day she found out that Vaggie had a thing for her. With those thoughts, the princess held onto his jacket tighter.

It may have been soaking wet, but it was comforting. First off, oversized clothing was always the best luxury option, and with the coat belonging to the taller demon, the largeness of the coat definitely fit the bill. Secondly, it made her think back onto what had happened. Since when was Al so nice without being condescending? So comfortable around her to where he would take his jacket off and simply give it to her? It had only been a few months, but she couldn’t help but consider the other a very close friend- did he think the same? Closing her eyes, Charlie dared to breathe in the scents around her. She had never noticed the scent before, then again she never breathed in his jacket! It was musky, a small pinch of cedar wood and lavender mixed in- her whole body relaxed, leaning into the drenched fabric for only a moment.

It was again she had gotten distracted! With a yelp, she had kicked the stair instead of stepping on it, causing her to almost fall again! “Darn it, Charlie!” The girl scolded “Pay attention! You’ve fallen enough today!”

With a huff, she continued on her way. It seemed that without thinking, she had brought herself towards Vaggies room. So without second guessing, that was where she went.

Graceful fingers bumped against the door, a voice emitting from behind it. “Hey Charlie!” No one else apparently knocked like her. “Come on in! I hope you’ve got my coffee, I still need to wake up.” Vaggies words were playful, making Charlie's shoulders tense. With that, she opened the door.

Vaggies attention wasn’t on her immediately, instead she was looking at her phone and scrolling through instagram to see what the other citizens of Hell were up to. “Heh, c’mere and see what Angel- I mean Angie Fluffy Bootz- posted about his pig last night.” Her voice was impish as she continued to eye the device in her hand. The grey haired girl reached one of her arms out, fingers wiggling as if trying to reach for the coffee that wasn’t there to greet her. Slowly, her eyes drifted upward. That was when the storm broke loose.

“I will kill him.” Her voice didn’t raise, it didn’t show any source of anger, it was calm, cool, and collected; she said this as if she were only stating a simple fact.

”Vaggie wait-” Charlie held up her hands, trying to reason with the other.

”Nope.” The moth interrupted, standing up as she walked over to her closet. “He’s dead. Gone. Goodbye you creepy radio demon!” When opening a closet, you often assume that it is full of clothes. No. Weapons lay in every nook and cranny, almost no closet could be seen behind the wall of sharp metals. “Charlie come help me pick something out.”

With feet dragging against the carpet with every step, the girl did as told by the other- not to help, but to try and explain and get through the others' fury. “Can you let me explain?” Pulling the puppy dog face may not work for this occasion, she hadn’t seen Vaggie this upset for a long long time. Slowly, she reached a hand over and grabbed the others’, taking it gently and holding it close. “We didn’t end up getting coffee.” Charlie admitted.

Vaggie stared at her, eye wide as she listened to the weird confession. Narrowing the one working eye she had, the girl slowly pulled her hand away. “I see that, hun.” she spoke with a sigh. With a blink or two of her eye, the moth demon looked down at her own hand before grabbing Charlies’ quickly. “Is this blood on your hand?!” Concern had replaced the relaxed anger that once rested in her voice.

”Yeah…” The princess started. “We kind of found some weird founti-”

”Oh my gosh Charlie your knees too! You’re bleeding! Hold on I will be right back, hun!” With a fast dash the other made her way to her bathroom where the first aid kit was.

Slowly her eyes peered down to the hands Vaggie was holding only a second ago. For a moment, she thought the other may have been thinking of the blood stained clothing she was wearing that stuck tight to her skin. Instead, her palms and knees had apparently been roughed up by the tumble she and Alastor had taken. Thinking back to the moment, he did flip their positions mid-fall. All she could remember was the sensation of sad coins full of empty wishes touching her palms. She had been straddling him too though, her knees must have hit the bottom of the fountain as well. Not only were her clothes stained, but they were ripped as well.

The grey moth demon came running back with medicine and bandaids, immediately getting to work on the small scrapes that damaged her knee. “Tell me what the **hell** he did to you so I can **murder** him!” It was clear from Vaggies actions that the concern was still there, but her voice was filled with such bloodthirsty rage that one wouldn’t have even guessed she was being a gracious nurse to some tender wounds.

”It was my fault, Vaggie.” Charlie sighed, rolling her eyes. She understood that Alastor wasn’t the best demon fairly often, but she hated that Vaggie assumed it was him that caused the trouble all the time… Although in this situation it did look pretty suspicious- coming back from coffee in wet clothes and his jacket, blood seeping into the white of her shirt that showed off her body like a renaissance sculpture, and small cuts lining her hands and knees. “I tripped and fell and he helped me.”

”You fell,” the other started “and ended up… soaking wet?” Her voice filled with disbelief as her one eye stared up at Charlie.

”Well…” A few awkward chuckles managed their way out as she gave a shrug or two, her shoulders bouncing as she tried to choose these next words carefully. “I was walking backwards and uh, well tripped and sorta pulled him in?..” There was a small pause as Vaggie continued to stare, wanting more of the story. “Oh uh! I mean we fell into this weeeiird fountain, it as filled with this odd blood stuff, or maybe it was just dyed red and Al was lying to me-”

”I know the one,” The moth interrupted, nodding her head as she moved on to the next wound- clearly believing everything that Charlie said now. “continue.” 

The princess gave a sigh of relief, shoulders now perking up as she continued on telling what events had just happened. “He somehow turned us so he took the blow of the fountain and that’s how I ended up with hurt hands and knees.” She decided it was for the best if she not get into the nitty gritty. Not mentioning how the two had stayed in that position for a second, staring at each other. There was another part that she decided not to mention as well- how he had played a bit with her hair afterwards to take notice of the liquid spilling from the fountain. “Aaaaand he helped me up and gave me his jacket and we walked back!” Another thing she had decided not to mention- the look on his face. The way he had turned around and held his hand across his closed lipped smile as he offered out the jacket to her. Charlie hadn’t noticed it at the time, she was too busy with her own issues. Thinking back on it though, it was cute, he seemed almost flustered and was kind enough to look away even though part of her… Didn’t want him to?..Wait... “That’s it!” Charlie finished quickly, putting those thoughts aside for now.

Vaggie was oddly quiet, taking in the situation that Charlie had told her. Finishing up with the bandages, the other placed her hand upon Charlie's shoulder as she sighed. “At least they are just small scratches. You should really be more careful… I was worried he may have done something to you, and having you come back like this…” There was another sigh, her fingers tapping against Charlies new borrowed jacket before taking a few steps back. “You should probably get into cleaner clothes, you’re going to get sick if you stay in those!”

Charlie gave a small nod, resisting a hug to give due to the soaking clothes as the two started walking across the floor. Suddenly, loud thuds echoed throughout the room, the hotel shaking slightly. The two gave each other a quick glance before rushing towards the door.

“I got this.” A voice peeped up, Angel casually strolling by as he headed towards the noises. “Don’t worry about it, tootsies~” With a wink, the spider demon carried on with his casual trek.

”I’m worried about it.” Vaggie said with a strained, whispered voice. Her body immediately started to follow after Angel, but Charlie held her back. “What are you doing?”

The blonde was happily bouncing where she stood, giving Vaggies shoulders a few quick squeezes as the two peered down the hall after Angel. “He’s doing a good deeeeeeed!” Charlie almost cried. If anyone looked at her, one could swear that she had one too many sparkles in her iris. “Let him be! If the noises continue in ten minutes we will go! But for now! He’s trying to help! Oh Vaggie! The hotel! It’s working!” Grabbing the other, the two started spinning around, Charlies laughter leaving her as her hopes grew higher.

The two hung out just a little bit longer to make sure Angel didn’t need backup before Charlie got scolded again by Vaggie, the girl basically forcing her out of her room and telling the demon princess to get into dry clothes already! At least the loud noises had stopped, it made her hope for Angel grow even higher as the girl strided to her room.

With the insert of her key, she had finally made it to her room. It didn’t take her too long to hop into the shower and quickly clean herself off- especially her hair. She felt lucky that the golden locks upon her head didn’t somehow get stained, it was definitely a worry she had for a while there. Putting on a fresh set of clothes, Charlie decided to be sure she wouldn’t make the same mistake twice and put her jacket on this time. Thinking of jackets, her eyes turned towards the one she had placed in her sink to soak- she wanted to get it back immediately, so there was no need for drycleaning involved, right? It was a little hard to tell if it was actually clean though, red on red was just a little confusing. With a shrug of her shoulders, the girl decided it was clean enough and hung it up to dry.

She hated to admit, but a few times when blow drying her hair, seeing the reflection of the jacket made her jump, thinking that the radio demon had been there in the room with her. After a while, the girl turned around and started poking the jacket with a finger. “Now listen here mister!” She joked “How dare you keep avoiding me! And yet here you are! In my room! Scandalous! Next thing I know you will be staring at my ankles!” Charlie couldn’t help but laugh, spinning herself around a few times until the arms of the jacket lay over her shoulders. Her fingers clutched onto the ends of the sleeves, her mind wandering as she imagined he were actually standing behind her, hugging her from behind…

Eyes popped open, her feet moving forward a few steps as Charlie let go of the sleeves. Turning on her heel she stared at the jacket. “I think this needs to go in the closet.” the murmurs left her lips as she took the hook and traveled across the room. Opening the door and placing his coat inside, she let her hand trail across the arm once more. Fingertips gliding down the fabric of the sleeve before reaching the end, grabbing it gingerly as she raised it to her face, pretending to kiss an invisible hand as she dipped into a bow. “Alastor, my dear.” the words seemed to flow right out of her, mimicking the other before giggling to herself. 

The musky smell still remained and a wave of relaxation moved over her. “Well, this is staying here… Until I remember to give it back to him. I mean it’s right here, I won’t forget to give it back!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She forgot to give it back. Alastor had taken her by surprise when he showed up in the lobby later that day.

Vaggies grip tightened around Charlies arm. In return, she cocked a brow at the other before turning her attention back to the guest who she was once having a conversation with. Charlie could feel her friends body heat on her as she had gotten closer, but her words never faultured while trying to answer the questions she was asked!- That was, until she heard her name being screamed.

She felt her body physically shift as she jumped at her own name. The startle basically rumbled through her entire being as she quickly turned around to face whoever said her name- it wasn’t hard to guess with that familiar voice of his. “Al!”

Quick on his feet, she noticed that he was basically in front of her within seconds. The other greeted her with welcoming arms- literally! Alastor stood there with his arms above his head, almost as if trying his best to express his excitement to see her. It was a relief, honestly. After seeing him act so… so… shady before… Charlie was worried that maybe her trip had shaken him a bit. What a weird thought though! This was Alastor she was talking about! He didn’t fear any other demon and basically nothing could make him awkward. He wasn’t the type to avoid. Her hands clapped together as she stared hard at him, giggling a bit for she couldn’t help but express how happy she was that he wasn’t avoiding her because of the small slipup from before.

That clearly wasn’t the case for not even seconds later the man had picked her up! His form was so close to her own, spinning her around two or three times before putting her down. Charlie couldn't help but remark in her mind how slender but strong he was. And even if he were strong, he held her so delicate that it almost felt as if she were floating. Pink painted her cheeks but she hardly noticed the flush for her attention was completely placed on the deer demon in front of her.

He was certainly on a hype! Before the chance arrived to ask him what it was he was so very excited about, gloved hands reached for her pudgy face and gave it a squeeze. Alastor had done this before, apparently her cherub features were entertaining and it seemed to be something he enjoyed doing! Heck! On multiple occasions after he left the room Vaggie and Angel Dust had squeezed her face in mockery of the other!

It was unfair though, how come he got to do such a thing to her but not to him? Big doe eyes studied the man, his slim features even came upon his face. A smooth jawline, a pointed nose, thinner cheeks with eyebags that rested right above them. Were they sure he wasn’t some model in his former life?

Petite hands reached out for him, fingers curling a few times to indicate a grabbing motion as Charlie leaned into him to try and reach the unreachable. This only made him pinch a bit harder, but she simply did not care. Laughter was bursting from her due to his actions, attempting to grab onto him in return only amplified this. His reactions to her reaching made the situation all the more enjoyable. Some may find his awkwardly extended neck creepy, but the girl had seen it far too many times when Angel tried to flirt or steal a kiss from the radio demon that it didn’t even phase her.

”Charlie!” His voice caught her off guard, hands dropping to her sides as he let go of her in return. The grin that always remained on his lips looked different, and once you get to know Alastor a bit better, there are ways to see that the grin he withheld often had different shades to it. At this moment, he truly was happy! Or at least enjoying the situation. The man let his hand raise again, and she half expected for her cheeks to get pulled on a bit more by the other. “I still want to talk with you about hotel business and planning if you do not mind! Not right now, I see you are busy with the guests.” With that said, his hand plopped upon her head a few times before returning behind his back.

As his shenanigans seemed to end, the girl took it upon herself to finally rub at her cheeks. He was a bit rough with them at times, something she found a bit strange considering how gentle he was with other things like swirling her in the air.

Bouncing on her toes was all she could do at his request! This was great! It really did show that he held nothing against her for pulling them into the weird, possibly blooded fountain! “That sounds great!” She tried not to scream, but honestly the blonde haired demon could not help herself! A party **and** it would help the hotel out! Why wouldn’t that make her excited? “Tonight or…?”

”Tonight sounds great! I almost never sleep so anytime works for me, darling.”

As the other leaned down, a sensation struck her. The woody smell of his gave a bit of a flashback, thinking of the coat that she held over her shoulders. There was no hesitation, she knew Alastor didn’t like to be touched, but that thought was placed behind the dream-like memories that clouded her mind. With no control, dainty fingers grabbed at his cheeks.

Overjoyed, the laughter came back to her. Bursting from her lungs as her fingers ran across the smooth skin of his face. She could feel the tears trying to break through, like someone had just told her the best joke in the world and she couldn’t get herself to stop enjoying it and repeating it in her head. If it weren’t for holding the other, she would have doubled over!

“Sounds good to me, Al!” The words were managed out of her, the laughter turning into a giggle over a few seconds as she tried to calm down.

Her body jumped at the sudden touch at her own cheeks. His fingers had found their way back to her own flesh as he gave them a squeeze or two. Charlie noted that this time, he wasn’t as hard as he usually was- actually, this sensation almost felt… caring. Slowly, she would open her eyes. Dew rested upon her lashes, fighting the urge to swipe at her eyes because she knew this would probably be one of the few chances she could actually touch the other without his initiation. It was almost hard to see him with blurry eyes, but the girl couldn’t help but look at him with as much joy as she possibly could. They had been staring into each other's eyes a lot recently, she noted.

It caught her off guard when the other suddenly stood up, his stature the same as earlier that morning. Her fingers didn’t let go of his face until she felt her feet shift from under her- how strong **was** this dude? Retracting her hands, Charlie pulled them close to her chest, fingers mindlessly playing with her fingernails as she bit her lip. She didn’t like this…

“Alright then! I shall be off! Goodbye for now, darling!” It felt sudden, their conversations recently haven’t lasted that long. Half the time it was just a face squeeze and a spin and that was it.

”Bye…” She had no idea how the words even managed to leave her lips. It was silent, but she had hoped he heard it as he made his way back to his room.

A squeeze took her attention now, her head whipping over to look at who was grabbing her- oh, she kind of… forget Vaggie was even there… “I **hate** him!” the girl called out, clearly hoping Alastor would hear her. The bows on her head became just a bit pointier as Charlie noticed the demonic form coming about. “How dare he think that he can just push me around like that! He shouldn’t even be in your face! Where the **Hell** is the respect for a princess like you!” more words managed their way out, but Charlie couldn’t understand them. It was partly muttered and partly screamed, random nitpicks about the demon deer and the fact that he had no boundaries when it came to grabbing people.

”Vaggie please.” Slowly her fingers wrapped around Vaggies, running her thumb against them in what she hoped to be a soothing motion. “He’s just having fun…”

”That’s the point, Charlie. Here’s just here to have fun. To mess with you. You’re just some pretty puppet on his strings like some creepy as fuck marionette master.”

A small noise left the demon princess, a whine that came along with a quiver of her lower lip. Vaggie stared up at her, her eye showing clear concern as the anger washed away from her figure. She relaxed a bit, leaning against Charlie with a sigh.

”I know we have had this conversation before… And I know we don’t completely know Alastor, but what I do know is he is dangerous, hun.” Both her arms wrapped around the girl, fingers tangling themselves in the princess’ hair as Vaggie started to braid a small part of it. “I’m just so worried he’s after something more than entertainment. What if he’s after you? What if he’s after your dad for some reason? I’m sorry for nagging you so much on the topic, but I’m just trying to look after you.” Staring into Charlies eyes, the moth demon seemed to know what to say next. “I know you can look after yourself too. Not taking shit from other demons is what your dad taught you…” With another sigh, Vaggie leaned away and took a step back. “You’re going to meet him tonight no matter what, I’m guessing.”

Playing with the small braid that her friend had now just placed in her hair, the girl couldn’t help but nod. “For the hotel.”

The other simply nodded, knowing that was that for the conversation. It was clear that Vaggie still didn’t like this, but she knew that Charlie was too damn stubborn of a girl to not seize an opportunity even if it was with a trickster creep. “Well,” the moth demon spoke up after a small amount of time had passed in the silence. She hiked up her legging a bit to make it more comfortable- being a demon in thigh highs isn’t exactly easy, clothing is very rude and so is gravity- before holding out her hand to Charlie. “let’s get back to talking to the guests then.

Smiling wide, Charlie let her hand firmly grasp the others as she bounced on over to the next victim- guest, who was simply just waiting around in the lobby for time to go by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do have a question for you guys. Would you rather I write a chapter and post it as soon as it's written, or write multiple chapters like I did these past 4 and post them on a weekly basis? I'm fine with either option.


	5. First... Date..?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was only going to start posting on a weekly basis but I wanted to give you guys an update on my life currently. I am having some issues with my gallbladder and I haven't had time to write at all so this fic and my Shrek HH AU fic are both on a longer hiatus than I thought.  
> I've had this chapter done for a while now so I don't mind sharing it, just know that there probably won't be another chapter for a bit until I get better.

All arms stretched from the spider, his sleep schedule was off from what the hotel had wanted him to be on. Getting a regular schedule was meant to be healthy for them, but Angel Dust couldn’t help but hate it. He had a job to do, even if Charlie was giving him money every now and then to pay off his boss, sometimes it seemed suspicious. Valentino was a pretty odd guy, sometimes he was in a good mood, and sometimes… The muscles that he tried to stretch earlier only got tighter for he couldn’t even finish his own thought...

”Why are you always up and about at the strangest fuckin’ times?” A gruff voice came from beside him as Angel had been walking without any destination in mind.

”My fuckin’ job why do you think?” Two of his hands reached within his pockets, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Breathing in the sickenly sweet flavor, he let out a long and needed sigh. The nicotine took the edge off slightly, but it only made him miss the days when he wasn’t in this hotel and under such a lockdown and restrictions. All he could rely on now was cheap alcohol and cigarettes to calm his nerves.

Charlie didn’t approve of either of these things and honestly Angel found himself avoiding the girl whenever he took a drag just so he wouldn’t have to see the pout that she was able to pull. What did she expect? A bunch of sinners to go cold turkey?

Husk only grunted in return, tipping the brown bottle to get every last drop of what he could of the cheap booze they were supplied with. He was acting as his usual self, his eyes darkened in response to the lack of sleep he had gotten- Angel figured that may have been his fault, but then again, Husks eyes usually were angry and lacking sleep.

”Sooo…” The pastel demon hummed, fingers starting to drum against the bar top. “Has there been anything happening between Charlie and Alastor?” He couldn’t help but let his smug smile spread from ear to ear- if he physically had those- golden tooth flashing at the cat that sat before him. “Anythin’… Cute?~ Anythin’ that showed some sorta spark that could collide into fireworks?” His fingers continued to dance along the desk, amusement painted across his face.

”No.”

Angel pursed his lips, giving a blank stare right back at the grumpy old man. “No?”

”No.”

”Yes!” A voice peeped up, startling the two boys. If Angel had been paying a bit more attention, he would have laughed at the fact that Husk poofed up a bit at the sudden girl squeaking at them. Niffty stared hard at Angel, face full of curiosity as she waited for the other to respond to her.

Slowly his head turned to look at husk, a brow raising. “You and your damn poker face.”

Husk could only shrug as he turned to look back over at Niffty who was patiently waiting. “How do you even know what we are talkin’ about anyways?” He leaned a bit more on the bar, getting close to the strawberry banana girl who was practically bouncing where she stood.

”I hear everything.”

The two boys stared at her, Angel may have been a porn star but that didn’t mean he always wanted to be heard or seen… She was a cute girl, yeah, but man was that creepy. Then again, she was small and quick, the strawberry pimp literally pulled her out of a chimney when summoning her. It wasn’t too surprising to know that she could hear so much- especially since she was one to gossip. Angel Dust stared at the girl a bit longer, she was practically vibrating where she stood by this point. “Alright.” One of his hands gracefully waved around in the air to gesture for her to start. “Spill.”

”Oh my goodness!” Niffty danced “He sure was diggin’ on that dolly! Alastor gets close but wow did he stare into her eyes!” She blinked quickly a few times, clearly waiting for the two to process what she was saying. “Sparks were flying! I’ve never seen him like that! She was dishing it too! Grabbing his cheeks and him letting her!”

Angel blinked a couple of times, slowly letting her quick words and movements process. “Al… Let her touch him?” He stared at the sleepless eye that looked as if she were trying to pierce right through him. She nodded so quickly it almost looked like she was only vibrating in place! How did she have the energy…

”Ooooh yeah!” Nifftys words were almost sung, leaning closer to the spider demon. “He reciprocated it too! They just… Stood there! Touching each other’s faces and gawking at one another!”

He couldn’t believe it! Maybe he was going to win this bet! A sly smile made its way to his lips. With his elbow leaning on the counter, the pastel demon couldn’t help but slide his head over to look at Husk and wiggle his brows. “I’m ganna wiiin~” He sang. There was no reaction from the other, just a shifty side eye before Husk guzzled down more booze.

“Anythin’ else? You beautiful milkshake you!” With his attention turning back onto the girl, he couldn’t help but feel much more relaxed.

Sure, there were others living in the hotel now, but Angel couldn’t help but feel a connection with these two more than the others- well besides Charlie and Vaggie, even if the latter of the two had a stick up her taco… He talked to Husk on the regular though, and maybe he didn’t talk to Niffty that often, but she was always around and always a pleasure to have in a conversation, especially with all the juicy gossip she always managed to pull out of nowhere. How could someone not enjoy a small fry like her? Bubbly, energetic, kind of creepy, and no one would be surprised if she were some sort of serial killer before she came down to Hell. In a way, she reminded him a lot of Cherri… He sure did wish she were at the hotel, she would be a good addition to the trio… She wasn’t a fan of being tied down though, and Angel understood that.

It took him a second to come back to reality, Niffty was still going on and on about unimportant details of the small encounter that Charlie and Alastor had before. “He seemed… Off at some points though.” The smaller girl mused. “Like when she first grabbed his cheeks, frozen in time as if he were debating about killing her-”

”So I can still win.” Husk teased. Even if he were acting like he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation, with that remark it was clear he was!

”Even when he walked off he seemed a bit weird.” The small girl would continue, now drumming her fingers against the bar top as if she were still trying to piece the situation together herself. “Stiff. Like he was… Running away? A deer in the headlights? Or maybe he was planning on killing her but was debating on not doing so?” Niffty continued to mumble on as her other hand gently made its way to her cheek, blowing out some air to mess with her bangs a bit as she looked over at the area Angel guessed was where Charlie and Alastor had been standing before. “Mister Alastor is a very weird guy, huh?”

”Weirder than weird…” He found himself nodding in sync with Husk. If there was one thing almost everyone could get behind, it was the fact that the radio demon was on his own level of difference.

”...and they are meeting there tonight.” The girl continued on with her one sided conversation, not caring if the two others were even listening or not.

”Wait, what?” Angel found himself leaning towards the other, as if getting in closer would help him rehear the last sentence she had said. If only Niffty didn’t drag on… “Can you repeat that last part? Not any of the boring stuff, the part about them meetin’.”

Her glazed eye was fixated on him, studying his body language for a second or two before the small girl nodded again. “Yeah! Sure! But you need to pay more attention, no one wants a distracted idiot.” The last part was mumbled, and honestly Angel forgot how often she dished it out to him without even knowing she was doing so! “Mister Alastor and the princess are going to meet up again tonight to discuss the hotel and business or whatever.”

His heart almost leaped- honestly, this was something he shouldn’t even be getting excited about! But maybe the strawberry pimp had a good mindset; Hell is boring and simple things such as this were so entertaining.

”Thanks toots, I can always rely on you for the juicy deets. Keep me updated in the future, kay?”

There was only a strong nod that came from the other as Angel stood himself up correctly, plucking at his bowtie. Scanning the area, he could tell where the two were probably going to meet. It would most likely be near the bar at one of the more personal tables in the corner. He was sure there were offices somewhere in the hotel where they two could meet, but Niffty mentioned that they would be meeting ‘here’ so here was where he bet the two would end up. “Looks like I need to set the mood.” The words purred from his throat.

”No way,” the gruff voice spoke up from behind him once more “there’s no way in Hell you are messing around with this, you damn prick! That has got to be against the rules!”

Slowly, Angel turned to look over at the winged cat. Dramatically he let out a sigh, a hand making it’s way upon his fluffed chest that he prided so much as he put on a fake pout. “Oh honestly, Husky. For a bettin’ man, you’re very bad at this.” There was a pause, waiting for any sort of reaction to come out of the other as they waited in silence. To Angel’s sadness, all he got was a single brow raised. “We didn’t set any rules. No one ever said we couldn’t mess with the two- as well as no time limit was ever set.”

The confused scowl that once seemed permanent on Husks’ forehead quickly changed. There were two waves of emotions that seemed to crash over him: realization that Angel was correct, and complete anger.

”Technically,” Angel continued, confidence coating his words as he continued to brag about the failures Husk somehow managed to miss originally “this bet could go on forever… Now… That would be a drag. I wouldn’t get my date outta it!” Leaning over the counter, the pastel demon did his best to try and corner the other “And that would be no fun.”

There were a few mumbles that left Husk, but nothing came out that Angel could fully understand. A few curses thrown in his direction, maybe a few questions that needed answers, and possibly some thoughts about how the hell he managed to not get nitty gritty on the details between a bet that included some good booze. “Fine.” The cat finally said, pushing Angel away from him. “Let’s pick a time limit then so I can get you away from my bar for the night.”

Angel let his shoulders bounce in a couple of shrugs as he got pushed away by the other. “Six months.”

Amber colored eyes stared deeply at Angel for a split second before a single laugh burst from Husk. “Fuck that! That’s way too much time! You think I’m stupid or somethin’?”

Eyes scanned the winged demon before him, taking in his posture and designs against his wings before meeting up at his face once again. With crossed arms, Angel couldn’t help but shrug once more. “Kinda.”

”Two weeks.”

With that, the two stared blankly at each other, letting the tension rise as they seemed to have a silent debate. It wasn’t until Niffty propped her body up on the counter and lay on it stomach down did Angel remember that the little gremlin of a woman was still there with them. She sure was silent for a girl with a big mouth. “A month.” She spoke up, fingers tapping on her cheeks as her hands helped keep her head propped up. “Not as long as six months, but not as short as two weeks. I’m sure something could bloom between them in that amount of time.”

Angel knew the smaller demon was most likely on his side for this, she sure was a sucker for romance and enjoyed watching Alastor. If he started dating someone, Niffty and the rest of them were sure to see a new side of the radio demon that they never thought was possible.

”Fine.”

”Fine.”

”It’s settled then!” The giddy little demon spoke up, sitting at the edge of the bar with a clap of her hands. “Both of you can mess with them as well, as much as you would like. It’s only fair, especially if you interact with them from time to time!” It was odd having someone else negotiate this, but Angel was sure that if she didn’t, this conversation would have lasted a lot longer and a fight may have broken out. Again, he wasn’t exactly in the mood for Charlie or Vaggies scolding.

”Fine with me.” He spoke with the wave of a hand as he moved away from the table. “You said they were meetin’ tonight?” As Angel walked away, he turned back towards the girl who gave him a small nod and a wave. “Great.” The word purred from his throat as the spider demon made his way to the kitchen. It was time to be a nuisance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He found his hands almost constantly moving, and Alastor had no idea why. He didn’t feel anxious at all, yet his body seemed to react differently. Touching his bowtie every now and then to make sure it was straight. Brushing off his jacket so that any lint that lay upon it would be swiped to the floor, or to make sure no wrinkles decided to find a home against the cleaned fabric. Tipping his tophat back and forth on his head to make sure it’s positioning was just right and just comfortable enough between his horns. These patterns would continue, the radio demon even caught himself messing with his hair like that pastel feminen fellow always was. How odd.

On the other hand, Alastor knew that he had become bored. At least messing with his clothes and other appearances gave him something to do while he waited. _So this is a problem._ He would think to himself as red eyes continued to dance across the room for any sign of her. His shadows could stalk the halls and see if she were coming, but that didn’t feel very appealing at the moment. No no, this was his fault after all. He had asked her to come meet him, yet didn’t even give a time. Not wanting to be a bad host or a bad gentleman, Alastor knew he had to show up first… So here he was, for hours, waiting for the other to come down and see him for their meeting.

If only he hadn’t ditched her so soon… The radio demon still had no idea why such a situation had even happened! It was very unlike him! Yet the scenario continued to happen in their more recent meetings.

Feeling a presence looming over him, the radio host turned his head slightly to the side. His carbon copy, his shadow, emerged from over his shoulder. Ever since that afternoon from the unexpected moment of which should not be named, he noticed the other forming near him more often. Alastor really didn’t want to think about it too much. If anything, in the back of his mind, he was happy that the other was there for him- almost as if helping him remember not to have another outburst of broken, crazed behavior.

The man didn’t know how long he stood there, it was long enough for the dark red sky outside to get a little darker and for the stars to start trickling out, peppering their teasing glows as they circled the sky above. Alastor was sure that if he were outside, it would be easy to see Heaven on a night like this, with it’s bluer, brighter aura cascading down on them. It almost made him hate looking towards the night sky, feeling as if they had the high ground on demons like him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the calls of a familiar voice. “Al!” Charlie breathed as she came bounding down the staircase.

This time, he was ready. Half lidded eyes focused on her feet as he watched her careful jog turn into an excited one, a foot slipping out of line and causing a tumble was something he easily predicted from the other. The blonde let out a yelp as she found herself in a forward fall, arms flailing and ready to take the hit from the carpeted corners of the rest of the stairs. Instead, he watched as she almost got engulfed in the shadows that moved around her like flowing water.

This action clearly took her by surprise. In one fluid motion and movement of his arm, the girl found herself standing upright and holding onto the man dressed in red. “Really darling, you have got to stop falling for me.” The words spoken with a large grin.

Alastor embraced her elbows as her gentle hands held on tight to the fabric that surrounded his upper arm. The two stood there for a second. Charlie slowly let her gaze drag from the floor and up his body until they settled on his own. He could feel her dainty fingers grasping tighter at the fabric of his jacket, but his attention wasn’t on that right now. No, he found himself immersed in her expression. She wore one of shock today, a little bit of joy and happiness shown in her eyes. The girls mouth was agape, her black lipstick carefully covering the outer rim that had the slightest shine to it. Next were her cherub-like cheeks that somehow always caught his attention, maybe it were the red that circled her round features that drew him in. That small nose of hers, one that often got compared to a puppies- something he wasn’t too fond of, he preferred to think of it like a gentle deers. And then… her eyes.

If he looked hard enough, the man could see his own reflection in them- but that wasn’t the focus. No, like before, he could feel something different that lay within her gaze. Her face may have shown shock, but her eyes told a different story. A story that dragged him closer. He wanted more… This look, like the looks before, the looks telling him that she was indeed noticing him, he couldn’t help himself but continue to become lost within her as well.

The demon was practically drinking in her expression, embracing the attention she gave him with open arms. He almost didn’t want the trance to end, yet he could start to feel her hands move to grip onto his biceps a little stronger. It sadly broke him out of it slightly, noticing his heart rate had picked up like one of an animals- beating fast and quick as if he had gone out on a fast paced run.

With the sudden realization, Alastor moved a hand across his body to grab her own. Elegantly swinging the demon belle as he brought her hand up and around her head to turn her around. For a moment, he let the girl fall backwards, leaning up against his chest as she squeaked at the abrupt movements. “Al!”

Part of him wanted to keep her there, to wrap his arms around her and claim her as his own. Animal-like instincts wanting to cage the other in and just hold her close, to ward others off and away from her.

Her laughter was music to his ears, taking in every last drop of her enjoyment before spinning the girl around again so she could face him properly. “I’m sorry if I made you wait too long!” Charlie beamed, “We never said a time so I just figured uh, like, when everyone either went to bed for curfew or got out of the hotel for their nightlife or jobs. Like,” her hands waved around a little, trying to talk with them once more “so the place could be empty and not loud so we can talk, you know?”

”I haven’t waited long at all.” He lied, he had been here for far too long he couldn’t even remember the hours. “I guess great minds think alike, dear.” Letting go of his glued gaze to the girl, Alastor managed to turn around and start walking to the table he figured would be best for the two. It was in the corner, quiet, but near the bar so that if they wanted a drink- which would most likely be a yes, then they could get one.

That was when he figured things would start to turn sour. Usually, what stood in the corner, was a circular table with two chairs, all three items made out of a darker wood. The area was a bit dimmer, so a small lantern would warmly welcome guests to come sit without having to brood too deeply within the darkness that surrounded the corner. An area that Alastor couldn’t help but feel comfortable in.

This… This was different. Oh no, he was not impressed. Alastor stood still in his tracks, the unsuspecting Charlie bouncing off of his back for she didn’t notice that he had stopped last second. This sent a chill up his spine, causing the demons shoulders to tense as he stood almost glaring at the area before them.

”This is sooo cute!” The girl exclaimed, hopping in front of him. “Did you set this up? I didn’t think you could decorate in such a cutesy, elegant way, Al.” The blonde clapped her hands together, causing his muscles to loosen slightly as he started his way towards the table once more.

”No.” The statement was simple. Gloved fingers reached for the laced tablecloth and Alastor decided to take everything in. That simple oil-lit lantern that once sat upon the wood was now a candle in some fancy holder, sitting on some white laced cloth. There were flower petals lining the area elegantly, too perfectly, in a very placed way where one could tell hours was spent on whatever was going on. “I had no such idea this would be decorated.”

”Welllll,” Charlie hummed, glancing around the room. “it’s very late at night and no one else is around. I’m sure if there was someone here they probably left… So, we could use it? The area I mean!” He watched her study him, his brows raising at the girl as she awaited an answer that he would not give at the moment- almost wanting to watch her struggle at the awkwardness as well. “We don’t have to! I’m sure there’s somewhere else we can go!”

”Whatever you want, deary-”

”Wine?” Another voice popped up, that naisely voice that seemed to always come in at the worst of moments. Usually Angel Dust wasn’t this bad, but recently? Alastor had no idea what had gotten into him! Yes, it was always entertaining watching the feminine spider around the hotel, but when it’s gestured at him? That was not a good time for anyone.

The deer demon basically watched as Angel took Charlie by the shoulders with two hands and sat her down at one of the seats. The other two hands contained wine and glasses, those of which were quickly poured as soon as the girl was forced to sit down.

The pastel demon slowly made his way to Alastor, a smile upon his face that clearly showed that he was up to something else other than simply giving the two some wine. “No.” Alastor spoke with a monotone voice as the other tried to grab his shoulders and also guide him to the table. With that, he figured that this night could only get worse so why not just get it done and over with?

Sitting down, the two of them stared at Angel Dust for a moment before the other seemed to slowly slip away from the area. Part of him wanted to pry and see what the pastel demon was up to, but the other part of him knew that this was not the time and that figuring out what Charlie wanted for the hotel was the main priority. So instead, he would do his best to turn his attention towards the girl ahead of him- something that seemed hard to do at the moment with the slight feeling of shenanigans creeping up his spine.

But once he locked eyes on the demon belle before him, Alastor noticed he didn’t want to stop his gaze. The girl was drumming her fingers against the table, eyes wandering across the room before landing on the wine before her. It was then she decided to reach for the neck of the glass and lift it up, giving it a small sip before clearly regretting it.

A sour face replaced the curious one that only seconds ago rested upon her expression. “Mmh.” Charlie said with a nod, her tongue darting against her lips as if wanting a different flavor to reside in her mouth. “Good.”

He couldn’t help it, a chuckle escaped him as he watched the girl do her best to fake her liking of the bitter, dry wine.

”What?” The words were demanded, eyes soft daggers that bore towards him in reaction to his laughter. “It’s good!” With that, another sip, a larger one. Immediate regret. Charlie quickly put the glass down and slid it away from her.

”Dry?” He asked with a raised brow. The girl could only nod in return, almost looking ashamed. It was so amusing how quickly her emotions could change. “Husker,” he called, waving an arm to the cat who was draped against the bar. “could you get our dear Charlie here something sweeter? Doesn’t have to be alcoholic.” Only a nod came in return before the barcat got to work.

The smile on his face felt like a gentle one, a genuine one, looking over at the girl as she fixated her big doe eyes on him. “You don’t have to fake anything to me, dear. I know you aren’t the biggest fan of tart or dry consumables.” The blonde gave him a small nod, the smile upon her lips was smaller, shyer, and this couldn’t make him more happier. What he had been craving, the sensation that had been tugging at his gut for so long, always seemed to vanish and be replaced by another feeling whenever she was nearby.

”Thank you for being so considerate, sir!” She raised her glass, tapping it against his sitting one before taking another sip- a quick regret. “Ugh! I can’t believe I already forgot what was in the cup.” her words were spoken with a small giggle. “Anyways!” With a slam of her hands on the table, the girl leaned forwards. “I want to start making more decisions for the hotel! We are getting more guests ever since you helped us all out so we need to start thinking of what we can do to help them!”

Alastor could only nod at her statement. At first he didn’t care for the hotel, he really just wanted to watch demons fail as soon as they thought they were close to the top. However, ever since he found himself spending more time with the girl in front of him, looking into her dark eyes and seeing many of the emotions she could display- he couldn’t help but want to keep the hotel up and running. To genuinely help her- at least a little.

”I was thinking about activities! Like art! Drawing, painting, maybe making music or writing. It can help them show their emotions and let them out. The thing is, we would need to find a teacher…” That was it, another expression from cheerful to sour in a couple of seconds as the girl thought over the details.

”I could always cash in a few more debts, my dear.” The man offered, unsure of actually why he would do so. Those debts could be for much better use in his near future, and yet here he was. Maybe if the two of them scouted, they could find a demon willing, maybe Charlie could even pay them. But that would also mean more interaction and more work had to be done- something to consider nonetheless…

”At least you didn’t have to grab someone to be the cook, once daddy found out the hotel was **actually** doing alright he sent down one of his chefs.” It was one she knew as well, Charlie had told him about the times she snuck into the kitchen and _smuggled_ a few pastries when it was actually the chef happily giving them to her.

Alastor would continue to let his head bob with everything she said, his eyes half-lidded as he listened to the girl ramble on about the employees they had. “And what about the party?”

”Well…” The deer demon watched as the other almost acted like prey, twitching her fingers, avoiding eye contact, leaning back in her chair to a point where it may almost fall. “I really want to hold one! But… I feel as if that’s much easier said than done.” Ears twitched at the sound of her bouncing fingers drumming against the table, but he tried his best to continue listening to the words she said. “I’m sure setting up party decorations wouldn’t be too hard. We do have a ballroom but it’s a bit messy… Oh! I’m sure Niffty could happily clean it up!”

”I’m a bit surprised she hasn’t already.” his hand moved through the air.

”So we need to get decorations, we need to get food and drinks but we also need to limit the booze! I **don’t** want drunk demons messing things up!” Her eyes flared red for a second or two, the words coming from her almost sounded threatening as if drunk demons was his fault… Well… he did bring a bar here…

”We can tell Husker to limit everyone, and we can stash the rest of the alcohol away and hope no one finds it.” Alastor did his best to try and reassure her- apparently this was something actually serious to her.

”Yeah yeah, Husker do this, Husker do that. When do I get a break…” The old cat mumbled as he walked over to the two of them, placing down a strawberry milkshake in front of the girl before making his way back to the bar to slouch and debate why he was still there.

”Ha! Isn’t he just charming?” The radio demon shot the grumpy demon a look, but it seemed at this point the other simply didn’t care. Bringing his attention back to the girl, he found her already sucking on her straw and glancing around the room once more.

”Aha!” The blonde burst out, raising her hands as she leaned away from the glass. “Husk makes this for me all the time… Sorry if the sipping is annoying…

”It’s fine my dear.” A taste of wine glazed over his tongue, the tanginess of the tart drink made his smile just a little bigger. “Is there anything else we need to worry about? For the party, I mean.”

Just as she were about to speak, the gnat came back. Angel sashayed his way into the room, holding a plate of spaghetti and gently placing it to the center of the table. “I’m not hungry.” He would admit, raising his hands in the air. “Plus the boss is makin’ me go on a diet for some fuckin’ reason. But I wanted to make this, I love cookin’ so I figured you two wouldn’t mind a late night snack. Good luck with whateva you two are doin’~” With a wink, he was gone, but Alastor knew that wouldn’t be for very long.

The two would slowly turn their heads to the single plate before them. Honestly, the meal looked delicious! Kind of disgusting that there was only one plate though… His attention turned to the other when she shuffled in her seat slightly, the feet making a squeaking noise as it rubbed against the wooden floors. She seemed… off.

”As I was saying…” the conversation must go on! Whatever awkward spill this was, he wasn’t about to stand for it. “Is there anything else we must have for the party? Besides a date of course.”

”I’m not sure, to be completely honest… I guess guest list? I wouldn’t mind if there were some sort of background check on who is coming. After all, I would enjoy it if the sinners wouldn’t cause trouble…” There was a bit of thought that came after it, an awkward pause as she thought. Alastor took this as an opportunity to give in to his desire and sneak a forkful of spaghetti that he probably wouldn’t have eaten if Charlie weren’t there. “Like… I would love it if Angel could invite his friend Cherri… I do feel as if recently he’s been a bit more ignored and I’d hate the idea of thinking he’s lonely. She may be a wild card, but I don’t think it would be bad if we got her into the hotel…”

He honestly could not remember who Cherri was. Alastor didn’t exactly care too much for Angels friends…

”Oh!” His body stiffens at the loud sound of her voice as the girl almost jumps from her chair. “A band! Al I can’t believe I forgot the most important part! We need a band!... Could your friendly shadows do it? They always play music when you sweep me off into a song and dance!”

”Well,” relaxing a little, Alastor leaned back in his seat as he thought about her question. “I don’t know if I really want to be using my powers all night, dear. If it’s a party then I’d think I should be able to enjoy myself a little as well.” With that, he pulled at the collar of his suit, letting some heat escape as he did so.

”Makes sense…” With a finger put to her lip, the girl leaned over in thought, mumbling to herself on what a tricky situation this was.

”I do know a flapper who could do the trick though.” With another bite of his food, he gave Charlie a little wink of assurance. “I’ve got a pal who runs a club. I’m sure we could convince her, especially if she knows Niffty is working around here too. Those two were peas in a pod back in the day, you know.”

”No, I don’t know.” A smile was upon her lips. “Who is this friend of yours? When can we meet her?”

”Her name is Mimzy. I will drop a dime and see if we can come over to her place in the near future. I’m sure you’ll just love her! She has a fantastic music taste!”

The demon belle ahead of him looked so happy as if she were going to cry! With another sip of her drink, the two seemed to calm down on their idea sharing for the night and decided to eat the honestly delicious meal that the obvious pastel demon had served them. If only the calming aura could last, yet it seemed recently that something was always happening. Usually, that would be just fine to Alastor! Hell could get dreadfully boring after being there for almost a hundred years, no wonder some demons who had been there longer were always in turf wars.

It was at this moment that the red deer demon felt ashamedly cheesy. For some reason, even if never experiencing or hearing of this in any way, he knew that the situation he now found himself in was something that was extremely set up for romantic reasons. His pointed face stared over at her curved one, the two hovering over the food as they were only inches apart. So this was why Angel had only given them one plate.

Immediately, Alastor bit the piece of thin pasta with his jagged teeth and leaned away. “Disgusting.” He mumbled, although it seemed his chest didn’t feel the same about it. Eyes were locked onto Charlie as she cupped a hand around her face to cover her eyes as if wind were hitting her while the other moved up to her mouth and gave an awkward cough.

 _Things can’t get worse._ One may think, knowing fully well that things indeed **could** get worse!

”Some music for the essence of the area~” The effeminate demon was back. One of his upper hands slapped some random demons back who held a violin while the lower hands clapped together. There was some twisted grin upon his face as if trying his best to look innocent or as if he were a plushie in some teen girls room.

It was meant to be some sort of date in his head, wasn’t it? Like he was playing with **dolls** or something. Was this his form of entertainment? While Alastor wanted to see fools try and reach the top only to fall back down, Angel Dust over here was trying to hook people up in Hell?

There wasn’t much time to even think about it. The thought was quickly stored in the back of his mind to process later when the two weren’t being bombarded! Reaching across the table, he grabbed her hand firmly but not hard enough to hurt her in any way. With this, he pulled the tiny girl close to himself, moving their bodies towards the darker end of the bar.

”W-wait!” He could hear Angel call out to them. “You idiot! You’re shit at violin! You made them run!”

Once a safer distance, Alastor held her tight in his arms, feeling the quick pace of her heart- unless that was his own? He couldn’t tell, he didn’t care. With a snap of his fingers the darkness engulfed them before a blinding green light swallowed them whole.

It was only half a second later that the two were at the top of the stairs looking down at Husk, Angel, and the random demon that was being scolded for how badly he was playing his music. For some odd reason, even with the green fire that had covered them up above only a moment before, none of them down below had even seemed to notice.

A muffled noise below him caught his attention, his arms quickly releasing the demon belle. As she opened her mouth to speak, he raised a finger to his own lips and gently breathed out a shooshed noise. The girl nodded in response, watching him crouch down and maneuver his way around the balcony of the stairs. He probably should have brought them somewhere else, but in the moment just the thought _away_ was all that traveled through his mind.

Charlie followed after him, sneakily making her way into the hallway and stopping every now and then as the two noticed Angel glancing around. Once in the clear and heading into a stairwell, the girl couldn't help but give out a few giggles in response to everything that had just happened. “I haven’t snuck around like that since I was a little girl in the palace!”

”Sorry about that.” Moving his hands, he straightened out the front of his coat before continuing the long climb up the hundreds of stairs to the upper floors. “I should have brought us to your room.”

”Eh! That wouldn’t have been as fun!”

Alastor watched as she waved a hand around to him nonchalantly. It seemed like her mind had been fully distracted by their sneaking than what had happened before, and honestly, the moment took him mainly away as well. The moments before only lingered in his mind, but it was the _now_ that he could only think about.

The trek up the stairs was a silent one, but at this point, they both figured either of them minded. Once in front of her room, the girl opened her door before turning to face him once again. “Wellllll… That didn’t go exactly how I wanted it to. But that’s fine! It was fun! We got some ideas down and some plans have been planned! That’s all that matters, right?”

”Indeed.”

With her large smile, Alastor found himself only able to give her a nod and a closed lip grin in return. “I guess I should get going to bed then… Huh? I wake up… Early and all that, ahah…”

”Goodnight, princess Charlie.” With that, the demon swiftly took her hand and pressed her knuckles against his lips. Turning his back immediately, he made his way down the hall. Unknowing to her, that same hand now pressed against his mouth in disbelief about what he had just done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope you enjoyed this! It's a bit longer than usual, I think the next chapter will be long as well so I hope you all don't mind!  
> Again, I don't know when I will be able to focus on writing again and I'm very sorry for the longer hiatus than expected!


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